Wishing This Wasn't Goodbye
by Crimson Fox4
Summary: When Aerrow says he's leaving the team Piper knows she has to figure out why, but what can she do when he actually leaves? You'll have to read to find out... Each chapter is a songfic, and songs used were writen by Superchick and Switchfoot Piper X Aerrow
1. Wishing This Wasn't Goodbye

**Hi everyone! This is my first attempt at a song fic, so I'm sorry if it isn't very good...**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

**I also don't own the song "Wishes" by SuperChick.**

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_**Wishing This Wasn't Goodbye**_

_The saddest thing is you could be anything_

_That you could want_

_We could have been everything  
_

**Watching our leader leave the bridge, I got up and followed him with help from some unseen force. How could he think we'd be a better squadron without him?**

_  
But now we're not,_

_Now it's not anything at all  
_

**"Aerrow!" I called out as I finally caught up to his long proud gait.**

**With just a glance in my direction he mumbled, "Hey."**

**"Aerrow, what's going on?" I asked trying to remain calm. "Why are you leaving us?"**

_The hardest part was getting this close to you_

_And giving up this dream I built with you  
_

**"I – I don't know Piper." Aerrow said hanging his head. "I just know that I have to..."**

_A fairytale that isn't coming true_

_You've got some growing up to do  
_

**"But why are you leaving if you don't even have a reason?" I questioned, trying to counter my friend's logic.**

_I wish we could have worked it out_

_I wish I didn't have these doubts_

_I wish I didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now  
_

**Pressing a button to open the door that led from the hall to the hangar bay Aerrow insisted, "It's complicated..."**

_I wish I didn't know inside_

_That it won't work out for you and I_

_I wish that I could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye.  
_

**Well duh! Choosing to leave the squadron would be a hard choice, but how did it come about? What had pushed Aerrow to abandon the team? To abandon... me?**

_After all the things you put me through_

_Tell me why I'm still in love with you  
_

**As Aerrow prepared his skimmer I asked, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"**

_Why am I,_

_Why am I still waiting for your call?  
_

**"I know that Piper. You guys have been with me through thick and thin, and I wouldn't change anything if I could."**

**"But if you leave it changes everything Aerrow! Don't you see?" I exclaimed, trying to get the message through his head.**

**"I know." He replied in a regretful voice.**

_You broke my heart_

_I'm taking it back from you_

_And taking back the life I gave to you  
_

**"Then why are you leaving? What's making you leave?" I questioned him with exasperation in my voice.**

_Life goes on before and after you_

_I've got some growing up to do  
_

**"Not _what's_ making me do this, but rather, _who's _making me do this." Aerrow said slowly as he checked his skimmer over again as though he didn't really want to leave.**

_I wish we could have worked it out_

_I wish I didn't have these doubts_

_I wish I didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now  
_

**"_Who_?" I asked in astonishment.**

**"Ya, _who." _Aerrow replied as his eyes took on the familiar sights of the hangar bay, looking at everything but me.**

**"But – but who? Who's making you leave?"**

**"Dark Ace." Aerrow hissed through clenched teeth.**

_I wish I didn't know inside_

_That it won't work out for you and I_

_I wish that I could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye.  
_

**"But how can the Dark Ace make you leave the team? I thought that you weren't afraid of him, and I _know_you could beat him in a fight, so what did he do to convince you to leave?" I asked Aerrow as once again, I was confused.**

**"You're right, I'm not afraid of the Dark Ace or any other people foolish enough to believe Cyclonia's lies." Aerrow replied, finally looking at me.**

_Its time I said my last goodbye,_

_Goodbye_

_Goodbye_

_Its time I said my last goodbye  
_

**"Then why are you leaving Aerrow?" I asked, still pondering as why _anything_that the Dark Ace could say to Aerrow would make him leave. "Did he threaten you?"**

**"Not me." Aerrow answered as he went back to staring at the ground.**

**"Then who did he threaten Aerrow? The Squadron? We can take care of ourselves you know."**

**"I know Piper, and no, he didn't threaten the squad."**

_I wish we could have worked it out_

_I wish I didn't have these doubts_

_I wish I didn't have to wonder just what you are doing now_

_I wish I didn't know inside_

_That it won't work out for you and I_

_I wish that I could stop this wishing and just say my last goodbye.  
_

**"Then who could be _so_ important to you, that you care _so _much about that you'd quit the team just because the Dark Ace threatened them?" I questioned, still trying to figure out Aerrow's logic.**

**"He, he -" Aerrow stammered before looking me in the eye and saying, "He threatened _you_."**

**"Wha - what? He threatened... _me_?"**

_Its time I said my last goodbye,_

_Goodbye_

_Goodbye_

_Its time I said my last goodbye,_

_Goodbye_

_Goodbye  
_

**Taking a step closer to me and grasping my hands in his Aerrow explained, "The Dark Ace, he… he -"**

**"Yes?" I breathed, trying to get Aerrow to continue.**

**"He figured out something about me."**

**"What's that?"**

**"He figured out that, that I -"**

**"Yes?"**

**"That I love you."**

**"Aerrow, I -" My words were cut off as Aerrow's lips pressed gently against mine, the tingling, enjoyable sensation lingering for a few seconds after he pulled away.**

**"Aerrow, I -"**

**But my words were cut off again as Aerrow put his finger to my lips and said, "He threatened to kill you, and I couldn't let that happen – _ever_."**

**Aerrow pulled me into tight embrace and after a few moments, kissed the top of my head before mumbling, "I have to go."**

**I just stood there, unmoving, as Aerrow mounted his skimmer and pulled up to the open hangar bay doors where I was standing.**

**"Well," Aerrow said gloomily as he stared at the gauges on his ride in front of him. "I'll see you around… I guess." Staring out at star lit sky in front of him, Aerrow whispered, "I guess this is… goodbye."**

**Aerrow glanced at me once more, my tear filled eyes meeting his sorrowful ones, mine following his skimmer as he flew off into the ever waiting sky.**

**"Aerrow, I love you." I whispered as the silhouette of his skimmer disappeared into the night.**

_Its time I said my last goodbye._

**

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**

Well, I hope you all liked it.

**And just as a side note - usually I'm not one who is overly thrilled by song fics, and when I first started writing here on fanfiction, I told myself I'd never write one, but here we are! This song just kind of attacked me, and voila! You just finished reading the result of that attack!**

**Crimson Fox4**


	2. Stars Above

**Surprise! I had a stroke of creativity about a week or two ago about a few songs to extend this songfic by bit, so here we are! **

**Here is chapter 2 of 'Wishing This Wasn't Goodbye' out of the possible 4 chapters I'm aiming for...**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

**I also do not own the song 'Stars' by Switchfoot.**

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_Stars Above_

_Maybe I've been the problem,_

_Maybe I'm the one to blame_

**I still couldn't believe that Aerrow left, and because of me. I definitely didn't doubt that. I still couldn't believe he just left. **

**And it was all. My. Fault.**

_But even when I turn it off and blame myself,_

_The outcome feels the same._

**Even when I tell myself that it was my fault that Aerrow left, it doesn't help the fact that our squadron is coming apart at the seams without Aerrow.**

**Junko is inconsolable.**

**Radarr just stays on Aerrow's bed all day.**

**Stork is more paranoid than ever.**

**And Finn? Well, let's just say that for once in his life he's quiet - and that worries me to no end.**

_I've been thinking maybe I've been partly cloudy,_

_**Maybe I'm the chance of rain**_

**I'm probably the worst off out of the lot mind you. I know the others lost one of their best friends; I did too, but I also lost the only guy that I've ever loved.**

**The only one that I could _ever _love.**

_Maybe I'm overcast,_

_And maybe all my lucks washed down the drain._

**I tried to put on a show of confidence for the others, but underneath that fragile shell of a charade, I was aching inside just like they were. The night that Aerrow left, I even cried myself to sleep knowing I was the reason that he had to leave.**

_I've been thinking 'bout everyone, _

_Everyone you look so lonely_

**I've never seen everyone so down and out before, and well, they just looked afraid, a shell of what they once were, and more easily put – just plain lonely.**

**Just like me.**

_But when I look at the stars, _

_When I look at the stars,_

_When I look at the stars I see someone else_

**The only time I would let my true emotions loose was when I was sitting on the roof of the Condor at night by myself with the patchwork of a sky filled with stars above me.**

_When I look at the stars, _

_The stars,_

_I feel like myself._

**When I sat under the stars, it was the only thing close to comfort until I realized that it was a star studded night like the one I was looking at when Aerrow left.**

_Stars looking at our planet,_

_Watching entropy and pain,_

**Despite the memories that the stars brought with them each night, they were still a comfort of sorts. It was as though they were looking down at me and were able to see the hard times I was going through.**

_And maybe start to wonder_

_How the chaos in our lives could pass as sane._

**The Condor had been anything but orderly as of late. With each of us mourning the loss of our Sky Knight to the Cyclonians in our own unique way, not much by the ways of chores gotten done.**

_I've been thinking 'bout the meaning of resistance,_

_Of a hope beyond my own_

**Yet despite everything I was feeling because of Aerrow's leaving, I still had a part inside of me that hoped Aerrow would come flying back to the Condor and his blue and red skimmer one day. A part of me that hoped this was all a dream and I'd wake up to everything being back to normal.**

**A part of me that just wouldn't accept the fact Aerrow was… _gone._**

_And suddenly_

_The infinite and penitent begin to look like home._

**But there was still that part of me that would scream above the rest that it was _my _fault that Aerrow left. That it was _my_ fault for my friends' misery. That it was _my _fault that I didn't stop Aerrow from leaving.**

**That it was _my_ fault that I didn't do _something_.**

_I've been thing 'bout everyone,_

_Everyone you look so empty_

**Everyday just felt like a routine now. I felt like there was no real meaning in it. There wasn't a point to it. It just felt so empty without our fearless leader, well, leading us.**

_But when I look at the stars, _

_When I look at the stars,_

_When I look at the stars I see someone else_

**But then there was always my escape each night under the stars. The time when I felt like just a bit of my worries and troubles were lifted off of my shoulders. The time when it felt like _someone_ understood what I was going through; even if there was no one else out there but me.**

_When I look at the stars, _

_The stars,_

_I feel like myself._

**I don't know why, but it was under those stars that I almost felt whole again. Like I was back to my normal self. Like everything was back to the way it was supposed to be. But that was the problem. I _almost_ felt whole again.**

_Stars_

_Stars_

**And it was under those stars that I made up my mind once and for all.**

_Everyone,_

_Everyone we feel so lonely_

_Everyone, _

_Yeah everyone we feel so empty._

**No more watching my friend's walk around the Condor living their lives as shells of who they were supposed to be. No more feeling the empty space that was where Aerrow was supposed to be.**

**I was getting Aerrow back.**

**And I wasn't about to let _anything_ stop me.**

**_Especially_ the Dark Ace.**

_But when I look at the stars, _

_When I look at the stars,_

_When I look at the stars I feel like myself_

_When I look at the stars,_

_The stars,_

_I see someone..._

**

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**

I also hope I didn't disappoint any of you... songfics aren't exactly my forte if you know what I mean...

**Well, I know a few people asked me to continue this songfic, and I'd like to thank those people! Kurtle in particular, but there were many of you who left reviews hinting you thought I should continue this. So this chapter is dedicated to all of you peoples out there! ;)**

**Oh, and if any of you were wondering, I didn't write this chapter out, or any of the ones to come (eventually) when I had that rare stroke of creativity a while ago because it was exam time for me. And I say rare, because it is just that - rare - for me to think creatively at exam time XD**

**Crimson Fox4**

**PS. If you guys couldn't tell, this chapter was written in Piper's POV.**


	3. Setting Sun, Freedom to be Won

**Alright, here is the third installment, and what do you know? I used another Switchfoot song for this chapter XD**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

**I also do not own the song 'The Setting Sun' by Switchfoot.**

_

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___

**Setting Sun, Freedom to be Won**

**--**

**I have to admit; never had I _ever _dreamed that one day I'd be sitting in a room in Cyclonia of my own accord. I especially never would have thought that a room in Cyclonia would be dubbed as my quarters.**

**That was the thing though. I wasn't here of my own accord. I was here because the Dark Ace had threatened Piper's life.**

_I've got a wound that doesn't heal,_

_Burning out again,_

_Burning out again_

**When I first arrived in Cyclonia a few days ago, I figured they'd just throw me in the prison to rot, but of course the Dark Ace wouldn't give me that privilege.**

**Instead he had given me a good shake down of what was expected of me now that I was to fly under the Cyclonian flag as a Talon.**

**To be labeled as a Talon was one of the worst things that anyone could ever do to me, so of course, he did.**

**But the _worst _thing about coming to Cyclonia to protect Piper's life was that the Dark Ace rubbed it in each day.**

**Whenever I resisted, which happened to be multiple times each and everyday, the Dark Ace would sneer and say, "Don't forget our deal. You fly for Cyclonia, and I won't hurt the _girl_."**

_I'm not sure which of me is real,_

_And I'm alone again,_

_Burning out again_

**I'm not even sure if I'm the same person I used to be anymore. The Dark Ace knew my weakness, and he was exploiting it to the fullest extent he could come up with.**

**Being away from my squadron and Piper was bad enough, but being stuck in Cyclonia without anyone to talk to, well, it just helped to burn the fact into my heart that I was all alone in a strange land I wasn't supposed to be in.**

_My hope runs underneath it all,_

_The day that I'll be home_

**I still couldn't help but hope that one day I'd fly for the freedom of the Atmos which was yet to be won. And flying for the blue skies again, well that just meant one thing.**

**I'd be back with my squadron again; the Storm Hawks. They were a whole lot more than my friends, they were family.**

**When you're with family, you know that you're home, and for me, Cyclonia would _never_ be home.**

_It won't be long,_

_I belong,_

_Somewhere past this setting sun_

**Each night since my arrival in Cyclonia, I had taken to watching the sun set each night like I had on the Condor.**

_Finally free,_

_Finally strong,_

_Somewhere back where I belong_

**The Condor – that's where my home was. Not on this far off terra. My friends, no, my _family_, were all on the Condor which made it where I _should_ be. Somewhere I _wanted_ to be. Somewhere that I actually belonged.**

_They're selling shares of me again,_

_But I'm not buying it,_

_I'm not buying it_

**Whenever walked the halls of Cyclonia, it seemed like it was essential for a Talon to escort me everywhere because they knew I'd want my freedom and that I'd fight for it. They knew it was only a matter of time.**

**I came to that conclusion a few days ago when I heard the Talons outside my door say, "So, how long do you think he'll last?"**

**"I give him a week tops."**

**"No way, I say five days."**

**"You want to bet on that?"**

_My wound goes deeper than the skin,_

_There's no hiding it_

_So I'm not trying it_

**I'm pretty sure the Dark Ace knows _exactly _what he's doing to me. And being as sick and twisted as he is, he's probably enjoying every last minute of it. Just like he enjoys forcing me to spar against him in the battle arena that I didn't even know existed on Cyclonia.**

**I always came back from those sessions pretty banged up, bringing a new meaning to 'no mercy', but what the Dark Ace didn't know was that it wasn't the sparring wounds that hurt the most.**

**What hurt most was being separated from my squadron day in and day out.**

_My hope runs underneath it all,_

_The day that I'll be home_

**Yet somehow, through it all, I haven't lost hope yet. The only problem is I don't know _what_ exactly I'm hoping for at the moment. Of course I want to go home, but a question always nags me – _how?_**

_It won't be long,_

_I belong,_

_Somewhere past this setting sun_

**The sunsets in Cyclonia were different than those I would always see from the roof of the Condor.**

**On the Condor, The sky would be littered with all sorts of hues and shades of purples, blazing oranges, yellows and reds. And as the sun set, I would always stay out watching as the stars slowly, but surly, made their appearances.**

**But here in Cyclonia, the only colour of the sunset was red.**

**Crimson.**

**Scarlet.**

**Blood red.**

**Not exactly the cheeriest skies I had ever come face to face with if you know what I mean. I definitely didn't belong here where the sunsets cried pools of blood.**

_Finally free,_

_Finally strong,_

_Somewhere back where I belong_

**I felt like a caged bird here; like Cyclonia had clipped my wings so that I would never fly again. But, one day, I _would_ be free again to spread my wings and fly – to fly home.**

_Let the weak say I am strong,_

_It won't be long_

_Let the right say I was wrong, _

_It won't be long_

**My time to fly was soon; the time to spread my wings and soar back to where I belonged – forever and for always.**

**I needed my friends more than I would ever be able to express, and I couldn't wait till the day where I could try and tell them how much I missed them.**

**How much I had missed Piper.**

**How much I had missed them _all_.**

_Let us find where we belong,_

_Beyond this setting sun,_

_Beyond this setting sun_

**Somewhere beyond the sunsets here that cried blood, I knew there were magnificent sunsets just waiting for me to find.**

**I would find them too, just as soon as I was free to fly where the wind would take me.**

_It won't be long,_

_I belong,_

_Somewhere past this setting sun_

**I don't know how.**

**I don't know where.**

**I don't know when.**

**But I do know one thing.**

**I'm going to find a way home.**

**_Nothing_ is going to stop me.**

_Finally free,_

_Finally strong,_

_Somewhere back where I belong_

**

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**

Again, I just want to note that songfics aren't my forte, so if I did something to mess this one up... you guys know why...

**Ah well. There's one more chapter / song of this fic, and then that should be it. For the final chapter I'll be using another SuperChick song, but which one? Well... you'll just have to wait and find out...**

**Crimson Fox4**

**PS. If you didn't figure it out, this one was an Aerrow chapter...**


	4. Don't Waste Your Breath

****

Sorry that I haven't updated this in so long, but the good news is that it's finally done!! :D

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

**I also do not own the song 'Learning to Breathe' by Switchfoot.**

* * *

_**Don't Waste Your Breath**_

_Hello, good morning, how you do?_

_What makes the rising sun so new?_

_I could use a fresh beginning too_

_All of my regrets are nothing new_

**For two whole days, I was planning non-stop.**

**I tried to figure out any loopholes in the Cyclonians' patrol patterns. I sent Junko and Finn on recon several times a day. I had Stork making sure everything on the Condor, and the Condor itself, was working.**

**If we were going to get Aerrow back, I needed to have everything planned out to the last detail.**

**I had no doubt in my mind that if the Dark Ace had gone so far to get to Aerrow by using me, that he wasn't going to let our Sky Knight slip through his fingers just like that.**

**The truth is that the constant planning and scheming kept my mind off of other things. Things like how it was my fault for Aerrow leaving and how I was the one to blame for my squad mates' depressed faces and attitudes that came with Aerrow's leaving.**

**So finally, it came time for us to put my plan into action, but hardly anything went according to my plan from the start.**

_So this is the way that I say I need You_

_This is the way I'm_

**Firstly, I didn't think that getting Aerrow back would come down to fighting against the Cyclonians. Actually, I had included that in my plan, yet I overlooked one small thing.**

**Aerrow was fighting _with _the Cyclonians; more specifically – against _me_.**

**We had attacked at twilight just like I had planned and unfortunately, that was the only thing that went according to plan.**

**I had prepared myself to fight against the Dark Ace who would more than likely be leading the nightly patrol like he had been for the past two days, but as luck would have it, Aerrow was leading the patrol the night we had chosen to attack.**

**Originally my plan had called for the others to create a diversion so I could break off from the fight and take Radarr with me into the palace to search for Aerrow.**

**Now?**

**Now I was improvising.**

_Learning to breathe_

_I'm learning to crawl_

_I'm finding that You and You alone _

_Can break my fall_

**Finn had led the charge against Aerrow and the Talons, although I was the one who ended up having to confront Aerrow. By using my staff, I had flown up to him blocking the few poorly aimed shots that he had almost reluctantly fired at my heliscooter.**

**I soon flew past him towards the uninhabited wooded terra below that happened to be on the outskirts of the patrol pattern where we had decided to intercept them. Aerrow soon followed suit and dived after myself and Radarr.**

**What was I planning now?**

**Nothing.**

**I was still stuck in improvisation mode. That could probably account for why I wasn't ready when Aerrow and I began to fight against each other on the surface of the small terra I had led him to.**

_I'm living again, awake and alive_

_I'm dieing to breathe in these abundant skies_

**When my heliscooter came to a stop, I jumped off of it, my staff ready, but I was sure hoping I wouldn't need it.**

**Aerrow landed seconds after us, and in no time flat, he had jumped off of his skimmer and was walking over to us. It looked like he was about to say something before he grabbed his head and gave a small cry of agony.**

**Just as soon as what seemed to be a pain in his head appeared, it vanished, and Aerrow continued to advance towards us with his energy blades ignited.**

**There were two things wrong with this picture. The first thing that was wrong was that Aerrow was advancing on Radarr and I in a battle stance as though he was ready to fight us. The second thing that was wrong was that his blades were now glowing with the all too familiar red of firebolt crystals. That wasn't the biggest part of problem number two though, oh no. The real problem was Aerrow's eyes - they matched the colour of his blades!**

**I heard Radarr whimper from beside me. Obviously he had been able to pick up on the changes in his friend – changes that apparently frightened him.**

**Tearing my eyes away from Aerrow's own red ones that were totally void of any feeling, I looked down to see Radarr take a few cautious steps towards his red headed friend.**

**Looking back up at Aerrow, I saw a small sliver of green coming back to his eyes, but just as quickly as it began to grow, it stopped.**

**"Aerrow…?" I whispered as he continued to advance on us.**

**Radarr took another cautious step towards his friend, but Radarr soon jumped back with a terrified cry once Aerrow shot a small ball of red energy at the ground right in front of his feet.**

_Hello, good morning, how you been?_

_Yesterday left my head kicked in_

**With Radarr now hiding behind my leg, I took my staff and extended it to its full length and got into a defensive stance, as Aerrow was now advancing on me. He had his blades raised, and his eyes were still lacking anything familiar except for a small, barely noticeable streak of green that had showed up as soon as Aerrow saw Radarr.**

**"I don't want to fight you Aerrow…" I said as I took a step back, Aerrow getting closer and closer to where Radarr and I were standing. I saw another small streak of green show up in Aerrow's eyes, but it didn't seem to have any effect.  
Why were Aerrow's eyes red anyways?**

**Aerrow began to grin – a grin full of evil that did not belong on his face.**

**"Aerrow…" I said again with concern in my voice. "Why won't you answer me Aerrow?"**

**Aerrow just continued to grin wickedly before with a sudden flurry of movement, his blades were crashing down onto my staff which I had managed to bring into a blocking position just before Aerrow attacked.**

**Pushing back, I was barely able to push Aerrow off of my staff, and the force of my push caused Aerrow to back flip to a position a bit farther away from me.**

**I quickly looked around to find out where Radarr had disappeared to, but in the moment it took to try and locate Radarr with my eyes, Aerrow had already recovered and took my moment of distraction to his advantage.**

**I looked up just in time to see a ball of red energy right before it hit me square in the chest, causing me to fly back from the impact. After what seemed like an eternity of flying through the air, I hit the ground of the terra – hard.**

**As I struggled to get up, I realized that the impact had knocked the breath out of me, and that there was a sudden constant throb of pain in left arm. Then I remembered something – there was a sickening crunch when I landed.**

**Frowning in dismay, I looked at my left arm to speculate that from the crunching noise from before, and from the funny angle it was bent in, I had broken my arm. The pain was a good enough sign of that.**

**Moaning as I tried to stand, I felt something hard collide with my back, and I was soon on the ground again, lying on my stomach.**

**I couldn't help but cry out in anguish as the pain in my arm grew greater each second, and that's when I realized that I had landed on it again.**

**Rolling onto my back, I was surprised when I felt a weight come down and rest on my stomach. Looking up, I realized that Aerrow was standing above me with one foot on my stomach to pin me down and was pointing his blades at me, one dangerously close to my throat.**

_I never, never thought that_

_I would fall like that_

_Never knew that I could hurt this bad_

**Drawing my eyes away from the growing red blade in front of me, I looked into Aerrow's eyes to see the two small streaks of green slowly turn into a spider web of green lines, and only then did I realize Aerrow was looking me in the eye as well.**

**Looking at the growing streaks of green, I remembered how during our first couple of years as the Storm Hawks Aerrow learned how to read me like a book.**

**Trust me, being on a ship full of guys, you learn how to hide your emotions well. But it seemed that whenever Aerrow looked me in the eye he could always tell what I was thinking, or what emotion I was _really_ feeling, not just the one I was showing on the outside.**

**I never really knew how he managed to do that, but I was almost happy for it now. Because whatever he was seeing through my eyes right now, it was slowly bringing the green back to his eyes.**

**Aerrow began to look more and more confused - disoriented even as more green came back to his eyes. I would have tried to struggle free of where he had me pinned down on the ground, but I feared that if I took my eyes away from his, the green would stop.**

**I didn't know what had happened to Aerrow to cause him to have red eyes, or to attack me, but I think it's fair enough to say that it had to be a mind controlling device or crystal of sorts.**

**Red was still dominant in his eyes, but the green was slowly eating away at it, so slowly that I feared it had stopped altogether….**

**"Aerrow?" I whispered gently. "Aerrow, why won't you talk to me?"**

**Aerrow opened his mouth in reply, but nothing came out. It was immediately shut though when a voice rang out from behind him, "Because he can't."**

**I craned my neck around to see the Dark Ace standing behind Aerrow with what appeared to be a small crystal in his hand.**

**"What have you done to Aerrow?!" I yelped as I felt the pressure on my stomach increase slightly.**

**I glanced up at Aerrow to see that his eyes were still red, and that the green had stopped advancing. My best guess was that only a quarter of his eye was back to its natural colour.**

**Laughing in his usual evil way, the Dark Ace replied, "Just something Master Cyclonis whipped up. It allows me to control his actions to a certain degree. Unfortunately, I see that you have found some way or another to try and get your little friend back."**

**Narrowing my eyes, I shot daggers at the Dark Ace as he continued, "I'm afraid you're too late. Unless you can get him back to normal in five minutes, he's my puppet forever!"**

**With the Dark Ace's last comment, my brain began to work over time.**

_**WHAT?! How can I only have five minutes? How do I snap Aerrow out of it? Come on… there has to be something!**_

_**Okay, let's see… some of the green came back to his eyes when he saw Radarr, but I think he may be hiding at the moment...**_

**I looked around the small clearing quickly as if to affirm my thoughts, and indeed, I saw Radarr perched in one of the many branches of a tree. I wondered what he was doing up there, but I hoped he was forming a plan. My planning session wasn't going amazingly well.**

_**Alright, they also began to turn green when I talked to him… and when he looked in my eyes and saw my pain! All I have to do is talk to him... remind him of things! It's worth a shot anyways.**_

**"Aerrow, you have to fight it!" A blink of his eyes and one small sliver of green was all my first comment gained.**

**"Don't you remember me Aerrow? I'm your friend! I want to help you!" I slowly but surely saw the green begin to grow again, so I continued talking.  
****"Aerrow, don't you remember? You're a _Sky Knight_. You don't hurt people - especially your squadron!" Aerrow blinked in confusion, and when I felt the weight on my stomach lessen, I scooted out from underneath him.**

_Learning to breathe_

_I'm learning to crawl_

**Standing up woozily, I put my good hand to my forehead before I realized that Aerrow wasn't attacking me.**

**Glancing back to where I saw Aerrow last, I saw that he was on the ground, clutching his head in what appeared to be pain.**

**Making my way over to him, I kneeled in front of him, and hesitantly put my hand underneath his chin to tilt his head up so that I could see his eyes.**

**Aerrow glanced up at me before wrenching his head out of my hand before he spat in a Dark voice, "Leave. Me. Alone."**

**Shaking my head, I continued to talk as Aerrow's eyes were nearly halfway to being back to normal. "Aerrow, don't you understand? You _aren't _a Cyclonian! You never were, and you're never going to be if I have a say in it!"**

**Aerrow glanced up at me, and I saw that his eyes were flashing back and forth between red and green. I chanced looking at the Dark Ace, and I saw that he was holding the crystal out at arm's length, and a soft red glow was around it. The oddest thing was that the Dark Ace had his eyes closed and appeared to really be concentrating.**

**I looked into Aerrow's eyes again too see that the red was lingered longer than the green did when his eyes switched back and forth between the two colours.**

**"Come on Aerrow! You're stronger than this! I _know_ you are! You're _not_evil! You're a Sky Knight! You fight for the freedom of everyone across the Atmos!"**

**"Don't waste your breath!" The Dark Ace sneered as the glow of the crystal increased a bit.**

**I glanced between Aerrow and the Dark Ace once more before I told Aerrow, "You can't give up! People are counting on you! You aren't just _any _Sky Knight, Aerrow! You're the Sky Knight _and_leader of the Storm Hawks! A squadron that you helped rebuild! Oh Aerrow, you've just got to remember… please??" I finished in a whisper.**

**I heard the Dark Ace's evil laughter, but I didn't look at him. I couldn't. I could feel tears coming to my eyes knowing that I may loose Aerrow for good.**

**"You better think of something to save your Sky Knight quickly, girl! You've got about thirty seconds."**

**Through my bleary gaze, I could see that the green and red shared equal times now - if only I could think of something to get them back to green!**

**As much as I tried to think of something, my mind just drew a blank.**

**"Fifteen seconds." I hardly heard the Dark Ace's voice. My mind was in other places.**

_**I – I'm really going to loose him!**_

**I felt the tears in my eyes fall down my face, and realizing I only had seconds left, I leaned closer to Aerrow's before I planted a small light kiss on his lips before breaking off and whispering, "No matter what happens to you Aerrow, I just wanted to let you know that, that I – I love you."**

_I'm finding that You and You alone _

_Can break my fall_

**I gently placed my hand over Aerrow's that was on the ground while I heard the Dark Ace say, "Three, two, on - AH!"**

**Looking up from the ground just in time, I saw the small red crystal that had been in the Dark Ace's hand begin to glow vibrantly before it began to melt in his hand.**

**"What did you do?!" The Dark Ace spat as he threw the crystal to the ground before he began to advance on me.**

**"I, I don't know!" I stuttered as I got up and tried to back away from the angry man before me.**

**"I think you do!" He yelled as he brandished his sword and pointed the end of it - now activated - in my direction.**

**"I honestly don't know what I did!"**

**"Of course you don't!" He replied with venom and sarcasm all rolled into one.**

**I continued to back away from the crazed man before me until my back hit something hard. Looking behind me, I saw that I had run into the trunk of one of he trees that edged the clearing.**

**I was about to move away from the tree only to feel a sharp pain coming from my left shoulder, and that's when I realized that the Dark Ace had used one hand to pin me to the tree, the other was holding the blade of his sword dangerously close to my throat.**

**"A pity your little Sky Knight can't save you know." He said before bringing the sword ever nearer to my throat. So close, that I could feel the searing heat from the firebolt that powered his weapon.**

**I shut my eyes and stood there, resigned to my fate, but it never came.**

**No pain.**

**No nothing.**

**I cracked my eyes open to see the Dark Ace a few feet off to my right with what appeared to be Radarr on his head.**

**"Get off of me!" The Dark Ace cried as he thrashed about, Radarr holding onto the angered man's hair in fear of getting thrown off.**

**Soon the Dark Ace managed to grab onto Radarr's tail, and the Talon commander threw him to the ground.**

**With a sneer, the Dark Ace turned to me and said, "This ends now."**

**My eyes widened in shock as the Dark Ace pulled out his sword and shot a bolt of energy at me. Having no time to dodge, I held my hands in front of my face – a futile action – just before the energy hit me, propelling me backwards.**

**I felt firm terra beneath my feet for a moment, but then it as gone. I was blasted over the edge and only managed to grab onto it using my right arm, stopping my deadly, involuntary descent into the Wastelands.**

**I looked down below me in worry; the Wastelands looked even more menacing now than they usually did.**

**I heard maniacal laughter above me, and I saw the Dark Ace's form looming, blocking out the sun's rays. He stood on the terra above me, his foot poised, ready to step on my hand and pry it from its hold on the edge.**

**It was bad enough holding on to dear life by only on arm, but if my hand became dislodged, well, I'd have no hope. I couldn't use my left hand at all, it was broken!**

**"The Storm Hawks already lost their Sky Knight, I wonder what will happen if they loose their Navigator as well?" The Dark Ace smirked is his foot lowered towards my hand that was already losing its grip on the edge of the terra.**

_I'm living again, awake and alive_

_I'm dieing to breathe in these abundant skies_

**In the blink of an eye, I saw the Dark Ace's body fly over my head towards the wastelands before his glider on his back unfurled. It took my mind a few moments to comprehend what happened.**

_**Someone just pushed the Dark Ace off the terra! But who? Radarr? That doesn't make much sense...**_

**My hand continued to loose its grip, and just when I thought I was a goner, I felt someone strong grip my wrist and pull me back onto the uninhabited terra.**

**I laid on my back for a few moments, taking in deep breaths with my eyes closed to try and get myself over the fact I had nearly gone for an unwelcome trip to the Wastelands.**

**"You okay?" A familiar voiced said from next to me.**

**My eyes shot open in response to the voice, and once they had finally focused themselves, emerald green filled my vision.**

**Blinking my eyes a few times, I whispered in disbelief, "Aerrow?"**

**Aerrow grinned his lopsided grin I knew all too well as he replied, "The one and only."**

**He stood up and offered me his hand, and with his help I was able to stand.**

**"How?" I asked, smiling.**

**Well," Aerrow began as he rubbed the back of his head, "I'm not really sure."**

**I looked at Aerrow quizzically before he continued, "I remember being forced to lead the patrol tonight, and then we met up with you guys, and then when we landed on this terra. Then all of a sudden I was thinking like the Dark Ace. But then I saw Radarr, you, everything else, and then bit by bit I threw off some of the Dark Ace's control."**

**I nodded my head saying, "That would explain the mix of green and red your eyes were for awhile."**

**"I guess." Aerrow replied before he reached out towards my left arm.**

**I couldn't help but let loose a small hiss as even as he brushed against the skin of my arm, I felt a wave of pain wash through it.**

**Seeing the grimace on my face, Aerrow's hand dropped from my arm and hung loosely at his side as he mumbled, "Sorry."**

**"It's okay Aerrow; it's not your fault that it hurts." I assured him.**

**"Maybe, but it's my fault that it's broken."**

**Placing my good hand on Aerrow's cheek, I forced him to look at me and not the ground as I said, "It's _not_ your fault. Besides, it'll heal."**

**Aerrow opened his mouth to say something to me before I cut him off, saying, "Now you just have to promise to stick around while it heals, _and_ after it's back to normal."**

_So this is the way that I say I need You_

**Aerrow didn't answer me right away; he just looked down and gave me his famous lopsided grin again as he laid his hand on top of mine.**

**"What?" I asked as I searched his eyes for an answer to his actions.**

**He just continued to smile, and before I knew what was happening, the tingling, enjoyable feeling coursed through my lips as they had a week ago the first time Aerrow had kissed me, except this time - well, let's just say the feeling lasted a lot longer than last time.**

_This is the way that I say I love You_

_This is the way that I say I'm Yours_

_This is the way, this is the way_

* * *

**Again, sorry for the long wait, and as such, it is quite long, no? I know I said I was going to use a Superchick song for this chapter, but as I typed it out, it just wouldn't fit. So I put this story on hold, then I found this song, and voila!**

**Well, I hate to post and run, but I'm headed out for another week of camp momentarily, so if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes, I apologize for my bad editing skills!**

**I also apologize if this last installment of this very long songfic disappointed anyone!! I'll answer any reviews I may receive once I get back next weekend, okay?**

**Crimson Fox4**

**PS. The APAH stories should resume again in August for anyone out there still reading them! :) **


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